Isla and the Sky

As Sky’s mood changes, so does she and Isla tries to capture all her different moods and beautiful colours. But not everyone likes it when Sky is not bright and sunny so she decides to stay that way all the time. With no rain, the landscape begins to suffer and so does Sky until Isla manages to convince her that she is loved in every mood and every colour.

‘Isla and the Sky’ is an absolutely delightful book which celebrates the joy of art and is perfect for starting conversations about emotions and being true to yourself.

Sky is so keen to please others that when she hears people moaning about her being rainy or dull, she tries to hide her true self and act in a bright, sunny way all the time. Isla, as an artist, loves all Sky’s different moods and sees her changes as interesting and inspiring, valuing Sky however she is feeling. So many people hide themselves and put on a front to disguise how they are feeling or to make others happy and this story is perfect for exploring this, encouraging children to engage with all their emotions and accept that these are natural, not something to be ashamed of.

The illustrations are just lovely! Children are sure to empathise with Sky and may well enjoy illustrating their own- or others- emotions in this way. Isla’s compassion and understanding of Sky’s moods is also beautifully captured. Excellent for sharing at home or at school, ‘Isla and the Sky’ is a real gem.

Isla and the Sky

Greg Stobbs

OUP ISBN: 978-1382069809

You can read my review of ‘Cloud Boy’ here.